MSU-Battle-Reports (English)

Chaos Lord, Disc of Tzeentch; Mark of Tzeentch, Talisman of Endurance; Hellfire Sword; Enchanted Shield; Third Eye of Tzeentch; Flaming Breath; Soul Feeder

Battle Standard Bearer, Barded Chaos Steed; Mark of Tzeentch; Shield; Talisman of Preservation; Warrior Bane

Chaos Sorceror, Level 2, Disc of Tzeentch; Mark of Tzeentch, Opal Amulet; Charmed Shield; Ruby Ring of Ruin; Chaos Familiar - Lore of Metal

Chaos Chariot, Mark of Tzeentch
Chaos Chariot, Mark of Tzeentch
5 Marauder Horsemen, javelins, flails, Standard, Mark of Tzeentch
5 Marauder Horsemen, javelins, flails, Standard, Mark of Tzeentch
5 Marauder Horsemen, javelins, flails, Standard, Mark of Tzeentch
5 Marauder Horsemen, javelins, flails, Standard, Mark of Tzeentch
18 Chaos Warriors, halberds, Full Command; Banner of Swiftness; Mark of Tzeentch
8 Chaos Ogres, great weapons, Full Command, Mark of Tzeentch

Chaos Spawn, Spawn of Tzeentch

It is a rare occasion to see a mono god army these days. However, Spencer showed that such a force can still be an army to be respected and in the hands of a good player it can go high in a tournament. Let's have a closer look at his choices:

Chaos Lord - The hardest hitting model in the entire army. His Hellfire Sword does d3 wounds, allows no armour save but these attacks are flaming. Great for hunting down monsters or lone characters. However, additional effect that the slain foes can explode and inflict further damage can potentially be deadly for rank and files too. The fact he flies makes him very hard to contain. My plan was to slow him down with units with champions (if he attacks them) and make sure any pursuit/overrun moves he has do not lead to new combats. If I could get him into combat with Dragon Princes or Star Lance hero then with 2++ against his flaming attacks I have a chance to hold him for longer. The fact that ha has "only" 4++ ward save (with re-rolls to 1's) makes it actually possible to hurt him by Searing Doom for instance.

Battle Standard Bearer - another well protected character with 1+/3++ saves. Good in combat too so that he can dish out a few more wounds against the enemy. I was curious where is he going to be, however. He can join any unit but due to being cavalry he can stand out from the warriors. Fortunately for Spencer, I have no cannons!

Chaos Sorcerer - provides some ranged weapons for the army in the form of ruby ring and spells. I forgot to ask why Spencer favours lore of metal instead of lore of Tzeentch. Both have some good spells to help the army so I guess it is all about personal preference. Another flying character that can potentially escape my attention and be hard to catch.

Chariots - very dangerous against my small units, fortunately slower than cavalry and relatively vulnerable to missile fire and magic missiles. I had to deal with them in the first place as otherwise they can be very, very dangerous, either as single models or a support for other units.

Marauder Horsemen - it is great to see so many fast cavalry units and I think they are very useful for WoC army. There are 4 cavalry units against 4 of mine but the problem might be that only 2 of mine are actually fast cavalry. But I was happy to have bows in that match up. I was very eager to see which support troops would prevail as both sides had their own advantages. Taking care of them would also be a priority. I need clear field to manoeuver.

Warriors - not that slow thanks to Banner of Swiftness. In one-on-one combats they have the upper hand against any of my small units so the trick was to lead to the situations where I could have 2-3 units against this one. I had to isolate them though as any support from characters, chariots or even fast cavalry means I am in trouble.

Ogres - another units that is not that popular among WoC players but has some hard hitting potential. If used in cooperation with characters or Warriors they can be very dangerous and they will definitely inflict casualties if charged from the front. One should not forget about their impact hits too!

Chaos Spawn - quite annoying little bugger. Not that easy to shoot down, unpredictable in the combat and Tzeentch one also has some breathing attack. May interfere with my movement phase too so I needed to look for the opportunity to eliminate it.

As usual against Warriors who are designed to carry the fight to the enemy I wanted to deploy further back, soften the enemy with magic and missile fire and use the opportunity that I have more units to arrange favourable combats. The trick was that we didn't know which units are going to enter the battle field and which were to be kept in reserves. I won the roll-off and I had to deploy my entire army first.

Deployment of the armies - both forces have some units in reserves

Reavers on the right flank had a tough job to delay 4 enemy regiments

Deployment of the armies after vanguard moves

Both units of Dragon Princes ended up in reserves which was a little bit problematic as I needed them ready to charge right from the start. On the other hand, Spencer's Lord, two units of marauders and a chariot also ended up in reserves.

I didn't move my reavers on the right flank during vanguard phase in order to be able to charge marauder horsemen. However, my plan was ruined when Spencer skilfully rolled a 6 and stole the initiative!

Chaos Sorcerer had following spells:

Enchanted Blades of Aiban, Glittering Robe, Final Transmutation

All might of the Warriors of Tzeentch has assembled

Reavers seemed to be hard pressed

The reinforcements have arrived

Warriors of Tzeentch seized the initiative and moved towards the Elves occupying the nearby hill and assembled in the defensive formation. Timely arrival of the reinforcements, led by the army general himself, put even more pressure on the elven army. They had very little time to react.

Elves remain calm and fight back

Heavy cavalry to the rescue!

First blood for Elves!

Elves had to react quickly before the enemy could consolidate the battle line and the units which arrived as reinforcements joined the rest of the army. Ellyrian Reavers in the South charged the opposing marauders and forced them to flee despite the presence of the battle standard bearer. Elven fast cavalry slammed then into another unit of the marauders while heavy cavalry arrived at the rear of the enemy formation.

In the centre the Elven fire base (including the Loremaster and his various magic missiles!) first shot at some Ogres and then eliminated one of the chariots. That was enough of the fireworks for big lads and they turned and fled to safety!

In the North, White Lions and Swordmasters prepared for the inevitable combat.

Attack on the North

And moving forward on the South

Warriors of Tzeentch in a double pincer manoeuvre

Chaos Lord leads the charge and charioteers follow. In between impact hits, Lord attacks and Hellfire effect, not a single Chracian survives and both overrun. Luckily for the nearby Sea Guard the momentum carries the Lord past them while much heavier chariot does not reach their ranks at all.

On the South Reavers face the spawn and despite defensive position they lose combat and are forced to retreat. Their companions draw combat with marauders. In the meantime, the Chaos Sorcerer uses his magical ring to burn a few Archers alive but the survivors grimly hold the line.

Elven counter attack

Chaos Lord - a little bit too far to pose immediate threat this time

Elves fight back to prevent encirclement

As the chariot passed the Swordmasters, warriors of Hoeth decided to scare away the marauders who predictably fled from the charge. Sea Guard reformed and created a hedgehog formation to receive the charge from the chariot. BSB was sent to join the archers and keep the battle standard high.

Dragon Princes charged the marauders engaged in combat with the reavers and killed them all, panicking nearby companions of the chaotic tribesmen.

(Edit: I cannot remember who got the Sorcerer but I am pretty sure I tried some magic missiles and some shooting at him )

Great Eagle - as usual taking one for the team

Warriors of Tzeenth persistently push forward!

Another attack on the flanks

As predicted the chariot charges Sea Guard and tramples a few brave warriors but the unit holds fast. The Lord surfs around the Elven lines and positions himself to attack soon. In the meantime, his BSB leads the warriors into the attack and storm through poor eagle into the nearby Swordmasters.

Powerful counter attack!

The whole regiment and battle standard bearer perish!

Sea Guard on the North kept fighting hoping that the Swordmasters will finally help them. They held this time but they also knew they have to keep fighting a little bit longer.

The shooters aimed at the marauders and destroyed one unit entirely. Then the ground started to shake as elven cavalry picked up the momentum to charge the enemy.

First Ellyrian Reavers attacked the exposed flank of a wounded Spawn and killed the abomination. Next, their companions charged the ogres to distract them but the brutes were again unnerved by the way elves hunted down chaotic minions and fled. This time, however, they also panicked some horsemen too.

Finally, Dragon Princes stormed into the rear rank of the Warriors of Tzeentch, while Larry the Loremaster led his White Lions to the flank of their foe. One of the Nobles gulped his potion and he hit with unnatural strength. However, weaver of fates protected his children and their magical aura of protection deflected the hits! Despite that, the attack was so powerful that even Warriors of Chaos could not hold against it and were run down in pursuit, their battle standard held high as a trophy.

Chaos General reaches daemonhood!

Or not?

Sea Guard once more holds against charioteers and it is sure now that they will be relieved. Chaos Lord charges White Lions and their Loremaster. The Lions carry the general into safety but they are a little too eager and move way too far. The ignored marauders waited for such an opportunity and promptly attacked the Elves who had no option but to flee the battle!

(Edit: I suffered fro tunnel vision here and moved Lions before I reconsidered the consequences. Or maybe I rolled all too well for the flee! It was indeed a grievous mistake and well done to Spencer for punishing me for such a stupidity! )

The Chaos Lord smoothly redirected and hit the disciplined ranks of the Swordmasters. Bladelord stepped up to call the challenge and the Chaos Lord was more than happy to accept. He killed the brave Elf and shortly after his form started to change and grow. A daemonic shape started to shimmer in the air but then something broke the spell and Chaos Lord disappeared!

(Edit: Spencer rolled for Eye of the Gods table and got double 6's! It meant his Lord turned into a Daemon Prince! Spencer passed the leadership test and ... announced he does not have the model so he is taking off the Lord as a casualty. According to the rules the Lord is removed as a casualty anyway but lack of the Daemon Prince model was unfortunate. Apparently Spencer has never had a similar situation. but he showed a great sportsmanship and accepted the loss without regret. I had 5 fantastic games against great opponents but this behaviour is something others should take example of. I was happy to give a vote for Spencer as a best sport and he actually won that award too! Well done, Spencer! Totally deserved! =D> )

Elves regroup

After violent confrontation in the South, the attention of the Elven warriors was drawn to the North, were the remaining units of the enemy were still intact. Swordmasters managed to rescue Sea Guard in the last possible moment. The shooters killed some Ogres while fast cavalry in the South hunted down few marauder horsemen.

Last attempt to charge by Ogres

Not this time!

Chaos Ogres tried to charge the nearest Elven unit but they just could not make it. Would Elven cavalry take an opportunity to counter charge?

Heavy cavalry charge again!

Proud Dragon Princes level their lances one more time and charge the Ogres. They win the combat and break the enemy but cannot catch them down yet. However, the only survivors of the chaos army don't rally and are soon run down by pursuing Dragon Princes. Warriors of Tzeentch are utterly destroyed!

I must admit I would have never expected to win by destroying the entire army of Chaos Warriors. They are really tough opponent and I would take any victory over them any time! I thought I am in even bigger trouble when Spencer rolled a 6 to seize the initiative. There were a few things that helped me to win this game fore sure!

1. The fact that Chaos Lord not only missed Sea Guard but could not see any target after defeating White Lions helped enormously. I could hold the Northern flank long enough for the Swordmasters to arrive. Not to mention the fact I could put my BSB to safer place. It was a mistake to charge with Swordmasters against the marauders, however and I should have position them better (so that they could counter immediately).

2. Some crucial panic checks were failed, notably by Ogres and that was a relieve. They could not support the warriors or storm through the centre of my battle line. I guess the fact they were out of range of BSB was a mistake here.

3. Daemonhood! - I got some bonus points for the enemy general which balanced out my very stupid mistake with fleeing Loremaster #-o However, if Spencer had a model, I would have suffered some more casualties. On the other hand I was hoping to contain that beast with fire proof armour and either Dragon princes or one of the nobles could have held him. In fact, I should have accepted that challenge with the noble in the first place!

I was very happy with the result of the game but I am still sure there were things I could have done better. First, BSB should have started with archers as I knew the North is going to be under pressure. I didn't know what is going to show up in reserves, if anything, but I should have anticipated the danger.

I have mentioned the relative positioning of the Lions and Swordmasters. I could have stopped the enemy in a better way.

I am not sure if I positioned DP's correctly. I guess not really because they blocked each other. Initially I wanted to charge 2 marauder horsemen with the first heavy cavalry unit and make way for the second to hit the rear of the enemy. But I had no space to wheel. That was what we checked during the game. However, I missed the opportunity as I could have wheeled from another side and make contact with 2 marauders. I had a chance to defeat them and then overrun into the combat achieving the destruction of 2 fast enemy units in one go.

Having said that I was very happy I managed to spot the opportunity and charge warriors with enough units to break them on the charge. Some good magic/shooting also helped to achieve some local advantage. With 17-3 victory and 3 wins after day 1 I was sure to face another tough challenge and some voice whispered that I should check what Mr. Kholek can do

I would like to take that opportunity and once again thank Spencer for fantastic game. I cannot stress out enough how great opponent he is. Spencer, that was a great privilege to meet you and to play against you. Well done on that Best Sport award and I am sure next time we meet you will get the upper hand!

Kholek the Suneater
Throgg - King of Trolls
Festus the Leechlord - Lore of Nurgle
BSB - Mark of Khorne, Juggernaut, Sword of Swiftslaying, Dragonbane Gem, Soul Feeder

6 Chaos Warhounds, Vanguard
6 Chaos Trolls
3 Chaos Trolls
20 Warriors of Chaos - Mark of Nurgle, Halberds, Shields, Banner of Swiftness

Dragon Ogre Shaggoth, Extra Hand Weapon
Dragon Ogre Shaggoth, Extra Hand Weapon

Special character heavy, Monster Mash type of an army. I played against variations of such armies and boy, they are really tough.

Kolek - It was the first time I had an opportunity to face Kholek and this guy makes his fellow Shaggoths look like schoolboys. With 8W he can risk to take a cannonball or two and still keep fighting. With S8 and 7A (as well as a weapon to inflict D3 wounds) he is a character/monster killer. His special rule also means he can also target units with the Lightning meaning d6 hits with S6 in 24" in the front arc. Nice

What to do then? Well, first thing is to isolate if possible or even feed him with units to slow him down. Challenges and being steadfast as always help here. He is also vulnerable to Searing Doom (2+ armour) and Spirit Leach so if possible I wanted to try that out. I had to keep him busy and divert him at all cost as otherwise he can easily destroy any unit I could send at him.

Throgg - Throgg is another individual that can deal a lot of damage on his own. In addition to quite impressive characteristics he has that nasty S5 breath attack (super vomit), can help controlling monsters, allows Trolls to be your core units and have some fancy regeneration abilities. He is tough but I fought against him and he can be defeated. However, I could also assume he would lead bigger trolls to battle and as such this unit was very tough to defeat.

Festus - Another special character I had no opportunity to play against before. He is the only wizard in the army (which always helps) but a nasty one. He adds poisonous attacks to the unit and gives them regeneration 5+ which is fantastic for the Warriors. Inflicting wounds on that army is going to be tough! It is also quite difficult to kill him as he can heal himself with his potion. But some flaming attacks should do the job here!

BSB - Frenzied Champion on Juggernaut with ASF sword. Ouch. Searing Doom is not going to help against him as he has 2++ against flaming attacks. His 1+ armour save is also hard to overcome. He can be devastating when joining any other unit on the attack. Breaking him can be the way to destroy him or ... shooting a single bolt

Trolls - Always a problem but I have tools for the job. I can shoot them with the help of sisters and attack them in close combat with Dragon princes. Small unit should be possible to be destroyed by the knights alone but the bigger unit, in particular with Throgg, needs more resources. A few fireballs in the meantime also can help.

Hounds - small vanguarding unit. Not to be underestimated as they have a good role to play and throwing them to feed the enemy might not be the only one. Have to be dealt with quickly so that they don't mess up with the movement phase.

Shaggoths - One is a problem, two is very tough, add in Kholek and you have very, very dangerous trio. The question is, are they going to work together or as separate units? If they move separately there is a chance to get them. Not easy at all and I expected to lose some warriors, in particular in the infantry regiments.

The scenario allows the units to deploy closer to the enemy. That suits Monsters very well as they are combat orientated and want to be there asap. Because of that I decided to deploy on the back edge to give myself a little space. First, I wanted to make sure that my banners and characters (i.e. Loremaster and BSB) are relatively safe so I needed to see where the Monsters are and deploy accordingly. Basically, I wanted to create a situation where slower trolls and warriors would have further to go to my characters. In that way faster Shaggoths, BSB and Kholek have to either move alone or wait for the foot sloggers. I expected to have 2 turns without combat unless I wanted to.

Smaller and more compact army also meant that it should be easier to outflank it, in particular if it deployed centrally. The main approach would be to wound with magic/shooting and finish in charge while avoiding and diverting the attacks.

Apologies for the quality - the sun messed things up!

Deployment of the armies after vanguard

As expected the minions of Chaos deployed in tight formation in the centre. Shaggoths guarded both flanks. Good. On the left flank, Dragon Princes with Banner of Eternal Flame were ready to charge Trolls (eventually) and Noble with Potion of Strength was there to threaten the Shaggoth. On the other flank, Swordmasters and Dragon Princes with Star Lance were to hunt down second beast.

Reavers on the left flank didn't vanguard to have a chance to charge Hounds turn one but Monsters of Chaos were about to move first anyway.

Festus rehearsed his spells: Curse of the Lepper, Rancid Visitations
and the army marched forward.

Kholek leads by example!

Monsters of Chaos move forward!

Kholek roared his order and there could be only one - forward! Monsters of all kinds sped forward as fast as they could. A steamroller of flesh, scaly skin and multitudes of mutations started to pick up its momentum.

First, Festus broke through the magical defences of the Loremaster and one of the Ellyrian Reavers unit ceased to exist, all riders victims to a horrible disease that developed in seconds. Then Kholek himself summoned power of the lightning but only two Sisters were struck.

Elves had to react quick!

Enveloping the enemy

Power of the magic and missile fire

The units on the flanks started outflanking the enemy as it left the sides of their formation relatively open. The units in the centre remained motionless and kept disciplined ranks despite incoming enemy.

First, Larry the Loremaster furiously attacked a simple mind of a Shaggoth and poor beast was barely alive after that experience. Then, the crew of the Eagle Claw aimed well and hit the enemy BSB with a single bolt. The missile hit perfectly and killed chaos champion on the spot!

Kholek attacks but is delayed

Monsters consolidate their centre

Kholek, irritated by the eagle, catches the bird of pray and shreds it to pieces. Throgg urges his minions to attack the eagle claw bolt thrower but they didn't respond fast enough. Other trolls, now without anybody telling them what to do, simply stumbled forward a few paces without any purpose. On the other flank, a Shaggoth moved to intercept Dragon Princes trying to outflank him.

The eagle proved to be a distraction enough because Kholek summoned a very weak lightning and only single Sister got struck.

First counter attacks

Outflanking proceeds

Elves proceeded with outflanking. On the left, Dragon Princes used the fact the nearby Trolls went stupid and positioned themselves for a flank attack. On the right, elven hero spearheaded the attack at the Shaggoth but thick hide deflected well aimed attacks. The beasted roared its defiance and held its ground.

In his eagerness to move his bodyguards to safety, Bob and Larry moved behind nearby trees but underestimated how thick and mutated they were. They completely blocked the vision and Larry was very frustrated that he could not use the magical powers strong winds gave him.

Left Flank

Centre and right flank

Attack through the centre (Edit: Apologies for inaccuracy of Kholek positioning)

Monsters attacked again. Wounded Shaggoth destroyed nearby Reavers while Kholek and Warriors dispatched two brave Sisters with easy. Kholek then tried to reach Archers but fell short. Barely. And proceeded to smash them with lightning instead.

On the left trolls stumbled forward oblivious to the fact that nearby Dragon Princes were about to charge them. On the right flank the combat continued. SHaggoth's hide proved too thick to penetrate by all but the elven noble. Shaggoth then tried to unhorse the knights but their armour and magical protection deflected many hits. The combat remained unresolved but Elves took heart as nearby Swordmasters were about to charge.

Dark forest on the left flank

Fleeing Warriors!

Flank Attacks!

Dragon Princes on the left, led by their noble, charged exposed flank of the trolls and one of the beast fell immediately to the fiery hot lances while another beast was wounded badly. They limped away and Dragn Princes didn't catch them yet to make sport of them soon.

On the right flank Swordmasters charged into melee. Even warriors of Hoeth may lose their resolve sometimes but they managed to land two deadly blows that ended life of the Shaggoth. Its twin fared not better as magical missiles finished him too. Surprisingly, that unnerved Festus and he ordered his warriors to carry him to the safety!

Kholek scares the Archers away

Festus miscasts!

Kholek was enraged and charged the Archers but young Elves fled, not feeling brave being alone. Throgg was furious that Warriors blocked his path to some Elves and had to move around. Festus, now confident and comfortable, cast deadly spell at the Dragon Princes and claimed all of the knights and wounded the noble. However, the feedback was devastating and Festus was promptly consumed by dimensional portal while his warriors were scattered around like rag dolls.

Elves regroup

Finishing the stragglers

Dragon Princes lost the interest in some fleeing trolls so Larry the Loremaster had to cast some spells to finish them before they started making trouble again. Swordmasters tried to avoid Throgg and his trolls while single Noble moved away too.

Kholek was about to get back.

Kholek retreats

Horrible fate for Swordmasters

Kholek returned but didn't fancy facing 5 Elven units on his own and started retreating. Throgg could not catch Swordmasters but was close enough to puke some horrible acids at them and all but 2 warriors of Hoeth perished.

With enemy too far away it was all up to Larry do some damage

Searing Doom!

With Monsters reluctant to fight and too far to reach Larry the Loremaster stepped in. He battled Kholek with his magical powers and magic missiles went towards the hulking beasts. Searing Doom reached him and wounded him badly. One more blow like that and even might Kholek can collapse.

Kholek is running away!

Throggs last charge - still failed

Throgg desperately tried to catch some Elves but still could not. Kholek summoned his lightning one more time but his wounds were deepn and his strike was weak. Only one Swordmaster died.

Last chance to get Kholek!

There was nothing else to do. Winds of magic were very low but Larry still summoned yet another Searing Doom. However, despite wounding Kholek again it was not enough to finish the beast. The Monsters were defeated but with Kholek alive it was a matter of time before they returned!

First of all let me thank John for a very challenging game! His army is tough and he pressed it forward hard. He proceeded to smash all his other opponents and placed 3rd over all. Well done, John! =D>

I was very happy with the victory over Monster of Chaos. It is very tough, resilient and fast army and it started closer to my lines than usual. Kholek is a beast and his lightnings are truly dangerous!

I ma glad I managed to destroy both Shaggoths and what is more, to get BSB with a single bolt! That required a little luck but it was definitely worth trying! That also helped to confuse smaller trolls and destroy them eventually although my rolls for pursuit and then charge were bad. I should not complain, however, as failed panic check for warriors and then cascade were definitely more unlucky for John.

With some bonus for breaking the enemy I got almost 700 points more that gave me 12-8 victory. And while that is the result I would have taken any time against this army, I always wonder what I could have done better.

I think I played good for first half but I didn't capitalise fully on the gained advantage (especially after killing both Shaggoths). John told me he was surprised I didn't target Kholek with boosted Searing Doom right from the start. Well, I need that breathing space and I thought I had better chances in killing smaller Shaggoths first to make it so.

However, from turn 4 I should have pressed from the left flank. Initially I deployed these units there to keep my fortitude points safe. But from turn 4 I needed them to press forward and try to surround warriors at least. I didn't expect I would have been able to panic them but even then my units should have advanced. That would have helped me to be closer to Kholek. In particular, I didn't use the great asset in the form of noble with lance and potion of strength.

Two small searing dooms in turn 5 and 6 would have been enough but I didn't roll enough hits with the second one and getting double 1 for winds of magic didn't help. Ah well, I guess I had my luck when I got BSB with that single shot!

Scylla Anfinngrim (Shelob) – General
Sorcerer Lord of Tzeentch (Sauron), level 4, Disk, Sword of Might, Earthing Rod, Enchanted Shield, Talisman of Preservation, The Third Eye of Tzeentch, Flaming Breath – Lore of Tzeentch
Sorcerer (Ringwraith), level 2, Chaos Steed, Charmed Shield, Dispel Scroll – Lore of Metal
BSB, Exalted Hero of Tzeentch, Daemonic Mount, Armour of Destiny, Scaly Skin

14 Marauder Horsemen, Mark of Slaanesh, Flails, FC
5 Marauder Horsemen, Mark of Slaanesh, Flails, Standard
5 Marauder Horsemen, Mark of Slaanesh, Flails, Standard
5 Marauder Horsemen, Mark of Slaanesh, Flails
5 Warhounds
5 Warhounds
5 Warhounds

Gorebeast Chariot, Mark of Slaanesh
Gorebeast Chariot, Mark of Slaanesh
6 Chaos Trolls
5 Chaos Knights, Mark of Slaanesh, Gleaming Pennant

Very interesting army list and you could bet it was not a coincidence that it was shaped like that. Let’s have a look at the details:

Scyla – I have never faced that special character before. As a general he gives nice Ld10 inspiring presence. Very good for trolls! He is relatively tough with T5 and scaly skin 5+ gives him a little protection. He also has 6+ save that combines nicely with MR(3). He is unbreakable which can be used as an asset. He has random attacks and only WS4 but with hatred it can still count. Star Lance noble could potentially get him on the charge with the Potion of Foolhardiness. Other high S attacks eventually would get him too although I'd better do it quick as he might get quite a few attacks back.

Sorcerer Lord – now we have a typical tooled up Tzeentch disk surfer but as he is not general he can be used more freely. Sure, 400+ is not cheap but at least there is no bonus for the general in this case. Extremely tough to kill due to 1+ armour and 3++ ward with re-rolls of 1’s. Unlike combat Tzeentch Lord, however, he is the most dangerous when he casts his spells and Tzeentch Lore can be really dangerous. Swordm of Might and Flaming Breath added to his arsenal even further. Would be great to catch him so that at least he would have been grounded. Otherwise, he will be major trouble.

Sorcerer – He definitely helps against high armoured foes as Tzeentch Lord might not get the Gateway but even if he does, he can add to the must-dispel spells for the enemy. Metal Lore has some useful spells anyway so that there is also a nice choice. Dispel Scroll is always handy. Not to mention obvious advantage of having 2 dice to channel rather than 1.

BSB – Another hard to kill hero, which is very important in the case of a BSB. But he can also be very good at combat as all chaos champions. Other than that good, old BSB is always handy to have around, be it as an independent character or in the unit. I guess breaking him in combat would be the best option due to his 1+/3++.

Marauder Horsemen – I have never seen so many fast cavalry units in a single army (maybe DE are close to it these days or new WE) and I was impressed. They were all armed with flails so that could be potentially dangerous. Big unit as an interesting option. Mounted sorcerer had plenty of regiments to hide. Mark of Slaanesh is very good choice on them as they will never panic and can always be used as redirectors. Very useful and very cheap too. Can do some damage but even if they don’t they are not expensive to be worried about.

Hounds – poor hounds are perfect throw away unit. They are very useful though and add to the number of regiments that can keep the enemy away from joining the fight or slow them down. Typical diverter role. The problem is they need to be eliminated too as otherwise even a single dog can be very annoying.

Chariots – now tougher guys for a change. Not fast but with good charge range and very, very tough. Perfect support unit as they need to touch the enemy to deliver the maximum number of attacks. Their impact hits are the most dangerous though. If charged or counter charged they are still a trouble but if hit in the flank the beast cannot attack and that means they are more vulnerable. Dragon Princes, in particular with characters, have a good chance to destroying them though. Quite good target for searing doom too.

Trolls – the “deathstar” of the army if accompanied by Scyla and BSB. Scyla provides some protection against spells so that they are not naked. Flaming attacks needed greatly here. Wider frontage means they can be easier diverted. Normally one unit of 6 trolls is manageable (but not easy to defeat) but with characters it can be a real problem.

Knights – another hitty unit in the army. Not many warriors in there! 5 knights is a problem on its own as I have experienced many times. However, they are perfect target for searing doom, and I have enough high S attacks in the army to try and tackle them too.

The main challenge, however, was that it was Battle for the Pass scenario so I could not use spread formation to try and engage the enemy in one-on-one combats where my units are better. Apart from trolls and knights of course. But winning the war of support units is priority in MSU vs MSU fights.

MSU armies in the Battle for the Pass - and you still have rivers!

Deployment of the armies after vanguard moves

I hoped to use defensive position with my shooters behind the river and added Lions for protection while other units would hopefully be able to attack the flank of the incoming enemy. At the same time I had to pay attention to the objectives and looked like there is a chance they can be contested if taking them is impossible.

Shooters behind the river and sisters in the building gave me hope to either thin down the trolls or shoot at light cavalry.

Surprisingly I won first turn and I had to come up with the plan as what to do when the enemy is not yet approaching my lines!

Oh, the enemy wizards had the following spells:

Sorcerer Lord: Pink Fire of Tzeentch, Bolt of Change, Glean Magic, Infernal Gateway
Level 2: Searing Doom, Enchanted Blades

[size=150]Outcasts - Turn 1[/size]

Elves move cautiously

Keeping defensive positions

Elves didn't move fast forward as the passage through was blocked by the units of Chaos. The gaps had to be made with shooting and magic. Due to intervening terrain or units being out of range, the shooting was less than impressive. Only some hounds and a some horsemen fell and that didn't impress neither of sides.

[size=150]Easterlings of Chaos – Turn 1[/size]

Close up on the centre and left flank

Close up on right flank

And the bigger picture

Chaos troops do not run towards enemy lines, just send their Sorcerer Lord

Surprisingly (or not!) the light armoured horsemen of Chaos were not eager to move towards the Elves and some units even withdrew. The survivors of the shooting went hiding behind other troops. Only the Sorcerer Lord moved towards the enemy. His attempt to cast a bolt of change at the dragon princes was dispelled but that opened the defences and he could cast Gateway without any resistance. Dragon Princes died anyway and only the noble remained.

Reavers sneak in

Stand off on the right flank

Units on the right flank didn't move forward but that didn't allow them to shoot at preferred target anyway so the shooting was wasted on tough and well armoured foes. Even fire ball did nothing to trolls since the Khorne protection was strong. Only reavers managed to sneak in between enemy units and shot down two more marauder horsemen.

Sorcerer Lord strikes again!

Another gateway!

The units on the left flank withdrew. No need to fight Swordmasters anyway. On the right flank the regiments shifted their positions but in general they didn't move forward much either. Trolls were in the safe distance from the shooters and Sisters in particular. Marauders were too far for the archers to pick them up. Only chariots were moved a little forward since their toughness and armour were protection enough.

Sorcerer Lord landed behind the elven lines despite nearby White Lions. He used them as a next target and destroyed them utterly with his spells (Edit: I thought it was Gateway again but it may have been Pink Fire as well, in any case, all died)

Elves move a little forward

Loremaster tried to snipe the Sorcerer Lord

Elves didn't move forward much, only sea guard attempted to change position. Reavers had to withdraw to more defensive position. (Edit: I failed my march test and could not use the speed to hunt down the marauders.)

Larry the Loremaster risked all in a single searing doom spell but only 1 wound was inflicted upon the Sorcerer Lord. Two Chaos Knights fell to the ground too.

Charles after killing 4 reavers with a searing doom. 5 hits, 4 wound on 5+, that's how you roll it!

Time for blurry pictures :oops:

Gorebeast chariot scatters elven infantry

Sorcerer Lord hid behind the building while nearby chariot attempted to catch elven infantry but both units withdrew in time. Warhounds tried to bait some elven knights while big units of marauders blocked the passaged through the river.

Then sorcerer, seeing how efficient his master was, cast a spell on reavers. No less than 4 elves died due to deadly searing doom but the only survivor didn't panic. He had to withdraw though.

Gorebeast chariot moved to threaten Swordmasters flank who seemed to overexpose themselves. But other than that army of Chaos occupied its defensive position.

Loremaster jumps to the house for a better view

but still cannot hunt down the notorious Sorcerer Lord

Elves don't take the bait and shoot the warhounds instead. Magic is still uneventful and Elves don't feel confident enough to advance more aggressively. Even Swordmasters back up from the chariot (Edit: one of the situations where I wish I had a musician)

Some more units shifting

Warhounds chase Swordmasters away!

Gorebeast chariot charges Swordmasters who made a little rush decision and tried to withdraw in good order. However, nearby war hounds chased them too and warriors of Hoeth had no choice but to retreat to the nearby rocks. They escaped but would have been to late to re-join the battle!

Sorcerer Lord again flew around and behind elven lines but his bolt of change was stopped by the dragon armour this time.

An attempt to shoot some enemies

Elves were running out of time and tried to get a few enemies. But shooting and magic were again quite disappointing. Even combat didn't go well as chariot fled and the noble could not catch it while lone reaver attacking from the rear could not break the hounds (Edit: or catch them, can't remember which one)!

Securing the objectives

Stalemate until the very end

Chaos troops moved in to secure the objectives and controlled two out of three. Sorcerer Lord tried to cast some magic but surprisingly even to him the winds of magic dissipated before he cast a spell.

With that both armies withdrew, none could have gained enough advantage to break through but it was clear the forces of destruction controlled bigger part of the pass now.

Unfortunately, due to lack of time we could not even finish the magic phase and I am sure some more casualties would have been suffered by my army with the Lord ready to cast more gateways or bolts. In any case, Charles outplayed me and won 12-8 and that secured him first place at the tournament! Well done, Charles! =D>

I played against a very cunning opponent and made some mistakes, so no wonder I lost.

First of all, I deployed assuming the enemy will come to me. I should not have. And that helped Charles to play to his strengths. Basically, he kept fragile units away and I wasted resources on hunting down unkillable lord.

Second, as I have mentioned, I should have tried to get some points elsewhere. The Lord can kill a unit per turn but I should have done so too. For example, instead of targeting him with searing doom I should have done so with Knights. They are the perfect target. Or even chariots. I wasted fire ball on trolls where middle one could have wiped out some marauders. It would have had additional benefit in the form of preventing them from contesting the objective.

I also misread the rules and assumed that staying in 3" from the objective can contest it. Hence I didn't move dragon princes in the middle. I gave away 200VP for free.

From the hindsight I should have stayed with Swordmasters and take the charge but I suffered from yet another tunnel vision and made the very same mistake as with Loremaster in game 3. :oops: #-o There was a chance I would have held (maybe on steadfast if lucky) but that also would have make it easier for the noble to catch the chariot.

The last two mistakes were the difference between loss and a draw.

I should have deployed differently, however and be a little more aggressive. I think I need more units on the right flank, also mixed and not shooters only. Then apply shooting and magic to hurt fragile units rather than waste the potential on tough targets. And maybe force some exchanges too.

From the perspective of a player it was a very challenging game and despite not many combats it was the fight were we both tried to get into better position but not gaining enough of advantage decided not to push it too much.